Lori’s List for Feb. 24-March 2

Posted: 02/25/2014, 07:56pm | By LORI RACKL
TV Critic

Matthew Rhys makes use of one of the many wigs on "The Americans" | FX

“MIND GAMES” (9 p.m. Tuesday, WLS-Channel 7): Another Chicago-filmed TV series makes its debut with this drama from Kyle Killen (“Awake,” “Lone Star.”) Christian Slater and Steve Zahn play well off each other as a couple of eccentric brothers. One’s a con artist, the other is bipolar. Together, they start an unusual business: a consulting firm that fixes clients’ problems using manipulation and motivation. It’s an interesting conceit rooted in real behavioral science. Rating: ★★★

“MIXOLOGY” (8:30 p.m. Wednesday, WLS-Channel 7): You know when a cocktail has the wrong blend of ingredients and doesn’t taste quite right? That’s the problem with ABC’s uneven new comedy from the writers of “The Hangover.” Ten very different, very horny singles spend one evening in a bar, flirting, fighting and getting into some genuinely funny situations. But for every great line, there’s a dud. The question of the season is supposed to be who’s going home with whom? With these sophomoric characters, it’s more like: Who cares? Rating: ★★½ For a much richer comedy, hop over to “Portlandia.” Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein’s insightful sketch show starts its fourth season at 9 p.m. Thursday on IFC. Rating: ★★★½

“THE AMERICANS” (9 p.m. Wednesday, FX): A couple of last year’s best new shows are back with equally strong season openers: On the 1980s-set “The Americans,” the Cold War isn’t the only thing heating up. So is the arranged marriage of Elizabeth (Keri Russell) and Philip (Matthew Rhys), two KGB spies posing as Americans in suburban Washington, D.C. This thriller is a fast-paced ride through the minefields of domestic and international relations — with one hell of a wig budget. Rating: ★★★½ On NBC’s “Hannibal,” FBI special investigator Will Graham (Hugh Dancy) and Dr. Lecter (Mads Mikkelsen) continue their dangerous dance in this introspective psychological drama that’s both beautiful to look at and hard to watch. Unlike Fox’s “The Following,” it’s the thinking man’s serial-killer drama, a twisted tale that never trolls for cheap scares but is plenty terrifying. (9 p.m. Friday, WMAQ-Channel 5) Rating: ★★★½

“THE RED ROAD” (8 p.m. Thursday, SundanceTV): Formerly known as Sundance Channel, the newly branded cable net continues its impressive string of atmospheric, thought-provoking, small-town dramas. This haunting six-episode season explores the deep divide between a parochial community and a marginalized Native American tribe — a conflict played out on a smaller scale between a powerful tribe member (Jason Momoa, “Game of Thrones”) and a local sheriff (Martin Henderson, “Off the Map”) struggling to keep his family together. Rating: ★★★½